Units of Storage

What is Storage

A look at Storage

We know computers can store large amounts of data. We measure the storage capacity of different storage media by using certain units of measurements.

For example when we talk about how much gasoline a fuel tank can hold we say a specific amount of litres.

Likewise, when we talk about how much data can be stored on a storage media (flash drive for example) we usually use the term byte.

Types of Units of Storage

BitByte

KilobyteMegabyteGigabyteTerabyte

Answer these questions in your book

1. What is a bit?2. What is a byte?3. What is a character?4. What is a word?5. What is the word length?

• Page 31. Log on to IT for CSEC

Class Activity

• Draw table 3.1 (Units of Storage) on page 31

Bill Nye (BITS)

Copy this tableUNIT ABBREVIATION APPROXIMATE

VALUEACTUAL VALUE

Bit b

Byte B

Kilobyte KB 1 000 bytes 1024 bytes

Megabyte MB 1 million bytes 1024 KB

Gigabyte GB 1 billion bytes 1024 MB

Terabyte TB 1 trillion bytes 1024 GB

Quick Question….

• Can you manipulate the units of storage?

• Answer these questions:1. Convert 1.2MB to KB

2. Express 2 TB as MB

Solutions

• Convert 1.2MB to KBSol: 1 MB = 1024 KB1.2 MB = 1.2 X 1024 KB=1228.8 KBSo 1.2 MB = 1228.8 KB

• Express 2 TB as MBSol:1 TB = 1024 GB and 1 GB = 1024 MB2 TB = 2 X 1024 GB = 2048 GB2048 GB = 2048 X 1024 MB = 2097152 MBSo 2 TB = 2 097 152 MB

Video- The digital computer

Class Activity

• Using the table in your textbook, write down the 8-bit equivalent for the letters of your name.

• Example- SAM• S - 01010011• A - 01000001• M – 01010011Then complete the following sentence in your book.

Hi. My name is < bit combination> and I am <bit combination> years old.

Home Work

1.What is a bistable device?2.Check your cell phone and write down:a) TOTAL storage capacityb) TOTAL space utilizedc) Available spaced) Size of Pictures foldere) Size of Audio folder

Soon we will be looking at different storage media and compare their storage capacity

USB flash drives hard drives

Memory cards floppy disk

etc……..

Past Paper Question

• Jan 2011 Q2 (b)John has an external hard drive with a capacity

of 1 terabyte (TB) and Mary has a USB flash drive with a capacity of 16 gigabytes (GB). Calculate how many flash drives of information, similar to Mary’s, can be accommodated on John’s external hard drive.

(2 marks)